Life after the End
by smileplease91
Summary: Ed and Al return home from their journey. Ed reveals his feelings to Winry, and what happens afterwards is pure happiness. Al makes an appearance and Mei is mentioned.


**Life after the End**

Ever since they were young, she had always been there. She gave him the ability to live again after that fateful day, and never asked for an ounce of gratitude in return. She hurt when they hurt, and she laughed when they laughed. She was a part of him, and it took him years to notice.

Now that he and Al were nearly home, he wanted nothing more than to see her smiling face again.

A thousand thoughts ran through his mind. Would she be happy? Would she cry? Would she say she missed them and welcome them with open arms? He knew all the answers to those questions without any partial doubt. The questions that made his chest feel tight were the ones that would make anyone in a newfound love scared. Did she love him? Did she miss him like he missed her? What if she had found someone else? He shook his head and began to work out advance scientific equations in his mind to try to avoid the questions. Then, one question entered his mind that made him stop in his tracks: What would she think about him being unable to perform alchemy anymore, and how would she react to the reason as to why? Al noticed that he had stopped walking and looked back at him with a questionable glance.

"Brother?" he called.

Ed blinked then looked at Al. "Sorry. Lost in thought."

"I can see that," Al said. "Don't worry, Brother. Everything will be all right."

Ed could see beads of sweat on Al's forehead, and he leaned his body on the crutches, which caused his arms to shake. He smiled at Al, made his way to his younger brother, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's take a break, all right?"

"I'm okay," Al rebutted as he shook his head.

"No, Al. You can't push your body too hard. Let's sit down and take a breather," Ed persuaded. Al sighed then nodded in compliance. The two sat down on the soft, green grass and stretched their bodies. Al could tell that Ed was in slight pain; his fight with Father did a number on him, as did the moment when he nearly died in the North. Ed had always been so strong; despite having a temper, he would put his feelings behind him in order to reassure everyone's survival. Even when his life was in danger, he made sure that everyone was safe before he would worry about himself. Al wanted to be like him. He looked up to him. He fell back on the grass and put his hands behind his head. The sun was warm, and the wind was calm. The area was quiet, but it was relaxing and reassuring. After a moment of stillness, Al sat up and looked at his older brother.

"Are you going to tell her?"

Ed closed his eyes and raised his head up, as if he were catching the energy of the sun. "Maybe."

Al sighed. "I told Mei, Brother, and we haven't been travelling together nearly as long as Winry has known us. You know. She knows. She has to. Just tell her."

Ed opened his eyes and grinned at his brother. "You told Mei, did you? What did she do?"

Al smiled. "What do you think? The point is, it's time you let Winry know how much she means to you."

Ed nodded in agreement. However, there was a problem with Al's theory: words alone could not express how much she meant to him. He missed her. He dreamed about her. Everything he did, he did for her. He decided to tell her, and he only hoped that he was not too late in revealing his feelings. When the two reached the house, Winry greeted them with tears and hugs. Ed could not refrain from laughing in utter enjoyment. She was here, right in front of him, in his arms. He kept his promise to only make her cry again from happiness, not from sadness. He came back to her, with Al by his side.

Her face, her smile, her laugh- nothing else mattered anymore.

That night, as Winry sat in her room tinkering with the parts to her work in automail, Ed stood at her door and watched her. He recalled back to the night he and Al tried to bring Trisha back to life. Winry, who was just a child herself, stayed by his side the entire time, despite the blood and gore that would have made a grown man sick. He walked into her room and tenderly placed his hand on her shoulder, which did not startle her at all. She put down her wrench and held onto Ed's hand. He was always so warm to the touch.

"I have something to give you," Ed spoke. He reached in his pockets and pulled out Winry's earrings which she had given him in the North. Her eyes widened in amazement as she reached and took them from Ed's hand. She put them on and smiled at him.

"Thank-you," she said. "With all the fighting you must have done, I'm surprised you didn't lose them."

Ed smirked. "Gimme some credit, Winry."

Winry stood up and looked at Ed with tenderness in her eyes.

"You've really grown up, you know," she complimented.

Ed winked at her. "Well, I am eighteen. It's about time I did, wouldn't you say?"

Winry giggled. She then saw some of the scars that had been dealt on Ed's body- his arms, his neck, his face. She could only imagine what was underneath his clothes, hidden from her view. This made her smile fade, and she turned away from him. This confused Ed, and he could tell something upset her.

"Hey," he called, "what's the matter?"

Winry shook off the sadness, turned to Ed, and smiled widely at him. "Nothing!"

Ed locked his eyes onto her eyes and took a step toward her. "Liar. Something is wrong."

Winry looked down at the floor to avoid Ed's piercing gaze. He knew that she was hiding something from him. Then, she felt him place a finger under her chin and gently tilt her head up to where he could see her facial expressions and her eyes. She could not keep her curiosities from him any longer.

"What other scars do you hide, Edward?"

Ed was stunned by this question. He backed away from Winry, a pained appearance on his face. He stared at her for the longest time without a word. After some time, he began to unbutton his shirt.

"You don't have to, Ed-"

Ed smiled at her as he reached the final button. Before he took off his shirt, he said, "Yes, I do. But, all I ask is for you not to cry. Okay?"

Winry apprehensively nodded. Ed removed his shirt to reveal the scars on his torso and back. The worst one, which took Winry's breath away, was the one that he had received in the North after Kimblee had tried to kill him. She slowly walked toward him, her eyes wide in horror. She kneeled down and gently placed her hands on that scar, which had caused Ed to shorten his lifespan an unknown number of years so that he could survive to see Winry's face again. Tears filled Winry's eyes, but she remembered her promise and held them back. Ed knelt down too and placed his hand on her face.

"Winry, look at me." She diverted her eyes away from his scar to his eyes- his golden eyes that always held truth, no matter how harsh or simplistic. "These scars mean nothing anymore. What matters is now. What matters, what always has, is you." Winry gasped slightly at this statement. "You took care of me. You even were there if I needed a wrench to the head to keep me in line. Most importantly, you kept me alive. You gave me a second chance at life after… and I never thanked you properly. I have so many things I want to tell you. One may take you by surprise, so I'll tell you that one first, okay?" Winry slowly nodded. "I can't do alchemy anymore, Winry. I gave it up to give Al his body back."

Winry's eyes widened in shock. Ed? Giving up alchemy, what he loved? It did baffle her, but it made sense as well. Ed had already given up his leg for Al. What was alchemy compared to that? She giggled, which took Ed by surprise.

"How like you," she spoke, "to sacrifice for someone. Alchemy, however! That's amazing, Ed!"

Ed laughed. "I didn't expect that reaction."

Winry shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's just, compared to your leg, alchemy seems like nothing."

Ed laughed once more, and it seemed to flow like water. "Yeah, I can see your point."

They laughed with each other for a moment. Winry then allowed Ed to continue. However, Ed would not speak. He seemed nervous, apprehensive. Winry leaned her head to the side, confused as to why Ed was anxious.

"Edward?"

Ed's face turned red, and he swallowed his fear. "Winry…"

"Yes?"

Without warning, Ed placed a gentle kiss and Winry's cheek. Winry's lungs seemed to lock in place, and her heart stopped beating. Did he just…? She gradually moved her eyes to look at Ed, but he had turned his back to her to avoid embarrassment. She began to breathe again, so she scooted closer to Ed and leaned around to look at his face. He had his eyes closed, and he was biting his lip.

"Ed-"

Ed opened his eyes and looked at Winry.

"I chickened out," he said. "That was meant for your lips."

Winry put her hands on her hips. "Ed, just say it!"

Ed reached up, pulled Winry to him, and kissed her. "I love you."

Winry smiled at Ed. "About time."

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years. Their happiness never seemed to fade. Even after Ed and Al left again, Winry eagerly waited for their return, and once they came back, Ed and Winry married. Soon after, children entered their lives, and they became a family. As the years continued to flow, Al and Mei gave nieces and nephews, and the family expanded, giving blissful moments that would forever be etched in memory.

It is one thing to live, but it is another to go through so many trials and heartaches, only to be rewarded. Ed, now a husband, father, and uncle, was able to look at his family and know that everything he had gone through was worth it. All the bloodshed, the tears, the pain was behind him. The woman he loved was forever his, and his children would continue his legacy even after he and Winry were gone.

It started with sadness and ended in pure joy.


End file.
